Editorial: Let's give all a Merry Christmas

Hawkes Bay Today is involved in the annual Christmas Cheer Appeal again.

One thing I love about living in Hawke's Bay - apart from the fact that it is a stunning place to live - is the generosity of its residents.

I am always stunned by the way our readers respond to people in need. Whenever we publish a story about someone who has suffered a loss, we invariably get a flood of donations for them. When we run campaigns, the response is overwhelming. Take our Bring Yer Boots drive this year, which we will be repeating next year. We asked you, the reader, to bring in old footie boots so we could distribute them to people in need. Talk about a tsunami of boots - we had an empty office in our Hastings building that was beginning to smell a little because there were so many boots in it.

But that is the heart of Hawke's Bay. If there is a need, our readers are more than ready to meet it.

So now I come to you asking for help yet again.

We are involved, once again, in the annual Christmas Cheer Appeal. We started it a bit earlier this year because we want as many people as possible to have as good a Christmas as many of us take for granted. Whatever we raise from generous donations will go to families in need. Our appeal wraps up on December 15, when hundreds of parcels will be readied for delivery to families in Napier and Hastings.

Already, on my morning route to the office kitchen, I see the presents piling up in one of our meeting rooms.

So, people are giving, but there is still time. And what could you give? We welcome cash donations, non-perishable foodstuffs, toys, gifts, and books for all ages. Even if it is something small, every gift has the potential to make someone's Christmas so much better.